Flood fence



2 Sheets-$1 1;

(No Model.)

H. A. MACE.

FLOOD FENCE.

No. 377,037. Patented Jan. 31, 1888.

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(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. 'H. A. MACE.

v FLOOD FENCE. I No. 377,037. Patented Jan. 31, 1888.

ATTEs-r INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HARVEY A. MACE, OF MOUNT ZION, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN H. POULTER, OF SAME PLACE.

FLOOD-FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 877,037, dated January 31, 1888.

Application filed July 15, 1886. Serial No. 908,073.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, HARVEY A. MACE, of Mount Zion, in the county of Macon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flood-Fences, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, showing the position of the parts during a flood; and Fig. 3 represents a form of boltof which the hinges are preferably composed.

a represents the fence sill or sills, horizontally arranged and hinged in a manner permitting a limited amount of rotary motion.

12 are pickets normally projecting upwardly from sills a, to which they are secured.

a are the posts to which sills a are hinged.

dis a board hinged to a sill, a, in a pendulous manner, and having its lower edge conformed to the surface of the contiguous ground.

6 are anchor'posts arranged one above and one below each fencesupporting post 0.

f are braces, preferably of wire cable, extending one over each post a and secured at each end to anchor-posts e.

g represents the hinges for the sills a and board d, said hinges being composed each of a pair of interlocking eyes, these being preferably formed of the hooked bolts 9, (shown in Fig. 3,) whereby the connections may be made permanent in a simple and inexpensive manner.

Ordinarily the fence stands in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the pickets projecting upwardly from the sill, and the boards 01, where needed, hanging down and closing openings caused by irregularities in the surface of the ground. In case of a flood, the force of the water carries the pickets to an approxi- (No model.)

mately horizontal position, with the sills against a guide-brace and the board (1 parallel with the pickets. While in thelatter position the water may pass freely, and logs or other objects liable to injure the fence will be guided over the same by the inclined braces f.

To guard against damage through expansion and contraction consequent on thawing and freezing, the braces f pass over the fenceposts and are firmly secured to anchor-posts c.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 2 that the sills can never rise above the horizontal, orabove the guide-braces, and that consequently the fence is always in position to be protected by said guide-braces.

The form of hinge shown provides a connection that enables the pickets to assume a horizontal position without an excessive degree of elevation in the 'sills, and also gives said sill sufficientleverage to readily overcome the weight of the pickets and to return the same to a vertical position when the force of the water abates.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent In a flood fence, the combination of the fence-posts, sills carrying upwardly-projecting pickets and loosely hinged to the upstream sides of said posts at such a point that they will come in contact with the under side of the upper guide-braces of the posts to retain said pickets in horizontal adjustment while the water is passing over them, and a board loosely hinged to the downstream sides of the sills and extending below the same, whereby the pickets and board when under action of the water will fold into a horizontal position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARVEY A. MACE.

Attest:

O. O. CLARK, JOHN H. PoUL'rnR. 

